Philippians 3:4b-14
New Beginnings
Spring is a time of new beginnings. Everywhere we look God is revealing His true nature, in nature. Winter must come like that of grief, sorrow, shame, and darkness. None of us can avoid the harshness of sin. But, God is a gracious God, full of love and kindness. He does not permit us to remain in the winter of life. As sure as new beginnings are breaking forth all around us in nature, God's Word, and Holy Spirit are working to break forth new beginnings in our hearts and minds.
In the reading for today, Paul envisions a kind of Spring-time event of new beginnings for the Christians in Phillippi. In chapter 1, Paul new life itself. He says in 1:21, "To live is Christ." Consider that for a moment. Paul is not saying that be alive is Christ. But, that to truly live is an expression of the very person of Christ. Are you truly alive? Are you truly living?
If you said no, don't be upset. When Paul brings this up in chapter one, he means to shake up his readers so that they are able to hear his appeal that they make for themselves a new beginning in Christ. Because the truth is, none of us can honestly admit that we are truly living as Christ would have us live. So, this brings us to the third chapter then where Paul encourages us to "forget what lies behind, and strain forward to what lies ahead." What is it that lies ahead?......Truly living, being truly alive, living in such a way that we are living examples of the very person of Christ.
Forgetting what lies behind.
Our past is filled with all sorts of things that hold us back. Like having a giant bungee chord attached to our backs, when we try to run forward our past continues to pull us back with increasing strength to harder we try. The pain and sorrowful events of our past can hold us back with the chords of fear. Our pedigree, or the way in which we were brought up can hold us back with the chords of self-righteousness. Our patterns of behaviors can hold us back with the chords of ignorance. There are lots of things behind us that can act as the chords that hold us back from making a new beginning. What's holding you back?
Straining forward to what lies ahead. Jesus' strained forward to secure for us the promise of new life. He strained forward against all that held him back. Against the fears of cross' pain and suffering he strained for what lies ahead. Against the self-righteousness of claiming his own authority, his own pedigree-earned glory he strained for what lies ahead. Against the poor choices of all humanity, the patterns of generations of destructive behaviors he strained for what lies ahead.
When we were baptized, we were baptized into Christ's death and life. His death was for us, so that His life might be ours. With him, in him, and through him, we can strain forward to seize a new beginning, a new life in Christ.
Our challenge will always be to let go of the past; past experiences, past lifestyles, past expectations. But, with the forgiveness of Christ, we are promised that each moment is secured for us an opportunity for forget what lies behind. With grace, then, each time we strain forward against the past for the life in Christ which lies ahead, we encounter our living Lord. He strains with us, in us, and through us. With Jesus, we never run out of new beginnings.
One day, we will break free of all that holds us back, and our Lord will welcome us home. Until then, we continue to strain forward for the promise of what lies ahead.
Lord Jesus, thank you for straining forward to secure the promise of new beginnings for all of us. Encourage me today to assess what it is of my past that is holding me back from seizing a life that is more like you. And, help me strain forward to the new life in you that lies ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen
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